Code Geass: The Price of Power
by Tower of Babel
Summary: Suzaku laments on his decision in becoming a Knight of the Round, but everything has a price. When the brother of the man who attempted to assassinate him seeks revenge, Suzaku is kidnapped and tortured. But an unlikely ally comes to his rescue. COMPLETE.
1. THE ISOLATED KNIGHT

**_A CODE GEASS STORY - "_**_**THE PRICE OF POWER"**_

( * * * )

_**PART ONE: THE ISOLATED KNIGHT**_

Sir Susaku Kururugi couldn't sleep.

There had been an escalation of rebel activity in the Eleven ghettos and he was appointed to quiet it. He had had put a stop to it with the Lancelot and an assigned entourage, but he was conflicted. They were his own people, fighting for the liberation of Japan from the so-called tyranny and occupation of Britannia, for which he too was Japanese. In every respect, he should have been fighting with them.

This is what made him restless.

He had been continuously dispatched to silence rebel forces. _This is yet another mode to test my loyalty to Britannia,_ he thought. _It makes me sick that even as a Knight of the Round, I'm still not completely trusted._

The Japanese people hated him. And rightfully so. On one occasion, disguised as an infantry officer, a member of a rebel faction tried to assassinate him. Easily forted, the man was captured. _But I was given the man's death orders to sign,_ he recalled. _Anya Alstreim, the Knight of Six, signed it instead when I couldn't._

He didn't want to sentence one of his own people to death. But it happened anyway. And it was a public execution. All the broadcast stations covered it. The man was blind-folded and placed against a brick wall with his hands bound behind him while a five man firing squad stood with guns at the ready. At a chain-link fence adjacent to the site, hordes of Eleven's protested.

The condemned man shouted, "For Japan!" And then was shot. It was a brutal and inhumane killing, despite news reports around the country stating otherwise. It was also a show of 'rule of law' by Britannia.

_But without pulling a trigger, it made me out to be the bad guy. And the target of all Eleven's hate. They branded me a traitor to my own people. _

In his heart, he did regret it. But the hard cold reality of it was, it was necessary for the establishment of peace. Or that's what the symbolic nature of it entailed.

He didn't ask for what had happened to him. And he was dumbfounded at how much he had accomplished in his young life, especially during this last year.

He was a Knight of the Round - a request he made of the Emperor after capturing Lelouch - and with it, the position held with it status, influence and power. The Emperor even granted him the return of the Kururugi land to him for his loyalty, for originally had been taken away because he was Japanese. Both the main house and the shrine were in such disarray after so many years of being unoccupied, but now, because of his new position, he was able to commission their restoration. And they were almost completely rebuilt.

Both structures were built in the old Japanese traditional style and were surrounded by lush forest. However, the only room furnished so far was the bedroom, except for a few necessaries in the kitchen. He had finally been able to move out of the Knight's of the Round headquarters and into a place he could finally call home after so many years.

But Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three, voiced concern about the lack of a security system.

Now the target of hate crimes, it was a recommended necessarily. Yet he assured Gino that things would be fine until one could be put in place. And besides, he had Arthur.

"_A cat as a guard dog? Get serious, Suzaku,_" Gino had said. "_I'm ordering a guard to stand watch at your house until a security system is installed._"

With reluctance, he agreed to Gino's rather adamant demand. Gino had a way of being very persuasive, or annoying, whichever one came first. He was reminded of the boxing match where he fought Gino. Gino wanted him to vent out his anger and frustration, and didn't let up until he did. Since then, they had become close friends. Gino also told him to never regret his actions, and to never forget his lineage, or past friends (like Lelouch) or risk an identity crisis.**

Gino's words always spirited him when he started to feel depressed.

_Thinking back, I can't be concerned with regrets. The world is at peace now. And I will continue to fight for that peace, no matter whose side I'm on, and regardless the ridicule._

The thought gave him a headache. He had voiced on numerous occasions of not being able to sleep well. He saw a physician, thinking it might be physical and was prescribed sleeping pills, but they didn't work.

_The stress must be getting to me,_ he thought.

Gino suggested an old fashion remedy he used to help him to sleep, and he swore by it. _Its simple nature should've seemed obvious to, _Suzaku thought. _Warm milk. The calming enzymes act like a sedative. _

With a tall glass on the night stand next to his bed, he settled in for the evening, pulling the bed sheets over his legs. Arthur was already nestled at his feet, asleep. In his hand was a copy of a book called _The Time Machine_, a classic novella written about one hundred and fifty years ago, like the book the Emperor had given him for a gift, for which Arthur tore up.**

Gino had recommended the book, loaning Suzaku his own personal copy. From the title alone, it sounded interesting. _There are certain events in my life where I wish I had a time machine to go back and change things. One in particular would be the murder my own father. And another would be Euphie's death by Zero._ _I still don't know why you killed Euphie, Lelouch. But someday the truth will reveal itself._

He pushed the thought aside because it was depressing, and drank down the whole glass of warm milk. Then he opened up the book and started to read.

But within minutes he began to douse off, and eventually drifted into a deep, deep sleep.

_**(FYI to readers: This makes reference to my previous Code Geass story: Identity Crisis.)._

**To be continued. . .**


	2. THE ATTACKED KNIGHT

_**PART TWO: THE ATTACKED KNIGHT**_

Suzaku was awakened a few hours later by soft, but angry cat sounds.

"Arthur, go back to sleep," he said sleepily.

Then he thought, maybe it wasn't Arthur? Perhaps it was one of the other cats in and around the area that were always getting into cat-fights over territory disputes. Before moving back into the house, he found a colony of cats squatting inside. He liked cats, but he had to kick them out. Now they just roamed the area.

_Cats are affectionate animals, _he recalled, _but when they feel something belongs to them, they make sure to stand their ground. _He had been awakened many times over the cats fighting. He meant to call Animal Services about them, but continuously forgot. _Arthur had never gotten into a cat fight, but most-assuredly, if push came to shove, I know he'd win._

He drifted off again…

Only to be awaken a minute later by even louder angry cat sounds.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Arthur.

The feline was standing on the edge of the bed with his heckles erect, as if angry or frightened of something. He was looking towards the closed bedroom door. It was almost like Arthur sensed danger. That something was in the house.

"Perhaps it's the guard on duty?" Suzaku said. But not even he bought that idea. He had ordered the guard to stand outside at the front entrance of the house. If indeed it was the guard, he'd have an some explaining to do. Insubordination was insubordination, regardless the reason. And besides, Arthur had sniffed the guard thoroughly before he was assigned and approved of him. He came to trust the cat's judgment.

Floor boards creaked. Arthur didn't let up his guard.

"You have my attention now, Arthur," he said. "Someone _is_ in the house."

He swiveled out of bed. Wearing only a pair of shorts, he reached for a robe to cover himself. Then he pulled open a drawer in his night stand and grabbed a pistol.

Arthur jumped off the bed and went to the door. Then scratched at it, wanting out.

Without allowing for the door to open even half way, Arthur raced out into the hallway, bumping Suzaku's leg. He was like a predator out for his prey.

"Arthur, come back here!" But the cat ignored his plea.

Arthur ran into the sitting room down the hall. It was the biggest room in the house and it stored everything Suzaku had brought with him when he moved in, but there just hadn't been time to unpack.

He heard a thump. And all was quiet. Arthur was silent.

"Arthur," he called out. "What happened to you?"

He entered the sitting room, flicked on a wall switch, and stopped short. There were three masked armed men standing inside. With pistol in hand, he said, "What the hell are you doing in my house!" He saw Arthur immobile on the floor. Sticking in his side was what looked like a tranquilizer dart.

The three men faced Suzaku, weapons at ready, aimed at him. Two of them looked like typical masked marauders, but the third, and most likely their leader, wore an open black leather jacket with a red and black intricately designed dragon tattoo across his muscular chest. It seemed to wrap around his body, like a symbioite. He stood between the other two, as if to affirm Suzaku's assumption. And in one hand was a golden luger, its partner was holstered on his left side. In his other hand was the tranquilizer gun he had used on Arthur.

Suzaku looked upon the man with disdain and hate. "If Arthur doesn't make a full recovery, you're dead!"

The man laughed. "You outta be more concerned about yourself right now and not some stupid feline."

"That so-called stupid feline is my friend and means more to me than the world!"

"People and their pets, what a pathetic relationship," said the man with obvious dislike.

"You've obviously never had a pet."

"No, I haven't. But I did have a brother, and he meant the world to me." The man unmasked. He was Japanese, in his mid thirties. "And you killed him, Suzaku Kururugi; you, and your heathen brethren, the Knights of the Round!"

Suzaku shook his head slightly, confused. "Who are you referring to? Wait, I know you. You were one of the Eleven's protesting at the fence when that man was killed by firing squad. I remember, you were shouting the loudest, and were cursing me, as I presided, reluctantly, mind you, over the execution. He was your brother?"

"Yes, and now I'm going to send you to Hell!"

The man fired his luger at Suzaku.

Suzaku dived out of the way and took refuge behind a wooden crate. He pushed his back against it. It held some valuable items that he himself packaged carefully. But it didn't hold up, and after more shots, the bullets zipped through the crate easily and exited out next to him.

He moved quickly, scampering to a safer location. And while doing so, fired off a shot. It went wild, missing all three men. His movement and angle caused his aim to be miscalculated. He was normally a good shot.

_I managed to crack Zero, Lelouch's mask in half, breaking it off him, square-centered, without killing him, on Kaminejima Island when we fought. _

It was a simple miss this time. But he didn't miss with the second shot when he settled in in his new position, and fired at one of the two still masked henchmen, hitting him in the chest. Unfortunately, he was wearing a bulletproof vest. So was the other one.

But not Chika - for that was the man's surname who was executed. The man's name who was executed was Daisuke Chika. That name was etched into Suzaku's mind, even though it was but only one person who had tried to kill him since becoming a Knight of the Round, or even a military officer. But it was an expected risk associated with his chosen profession. Chika had an older brother named Hachirou. This was him.

Hachirou Chika's chest was exposed, and Suzaku took a shot, but it missed when Hachirou veered to the right to avoid it.

One of Hackirou's henchman fired at Suzaku, but well protected behind Arthur's grossly oversize toy/scratching post/domicile - a joke gift from Gino - the bullets became embedded in its thick hardwood framework that was covered with a soft material used for grip.

_Sorry Arthur, _he thought.

He had thought to getting rid of it because he was so large, only keeping it because Gino bought it, but now there was a valid reason. Besides, Arthur never used it. He didn't even think Arthur liked it.

Suzaku took a shot, quickly turning, and made a kill, sending a bullet in the same man's forehead. He dropped like a stone.

Suzaku turned back, again hiding behind the toy post.

After that, the weapons fire intensified profusely. And Suzaku couldn't fire back. But he knew eventually, they'd get wise, and one would cover the other, while the other maneuvered around to a more accessible position to kill him.

And that's exactly what began to transpire. And yet, Suzaku anticipated it. He was prepared, training for scenarios like this during his years in the Britannian infantry.

He pushed back and toppled Arthur's toy post onto the masked thug temporarily distracting him, then fired, sending a bullet coursing through his neck. _Two down, _Suzaku thought.

But it was then he heard a shot and felt a sharp prick in his chest. "Ow." He looked down and saw a tranquilizer dart embedded center square. "Oh crap!" He pulled it out and dropped it. The effects of the sedative were almost instantaneous.

He looked up and saw Hachirou. He foresaw the Panzer Maneuver (a term used in the military during battle when an enemy traps his opponent from all sides), but underestimated the insidious nature of the man, sacrificing his henchman to get the shot.

With little option, he backed away, but stumbled, and his gun slipped from his hand. He felt woozy. His body was quickly becoming retarded from the dart.

Hachirou pointed his lugar at Suzaku. Suzaku looked straight up its barrel.

_After everything that I've accomplished in such a short time...is this where I'm going to die?_

And despite the demands of the Geass Lelouch forced upon him, causing confusion and chaos of his convictions, coursing through his mind, now screaming for him to flee, and to live, it was no match for the tranquilizer.

"Sweet dreams, good knight," Hachirou said with a sneering smile.

But Suzaku would never hear the shot that would take his life. And he collapsed in unconsciousness.

**To be continued...**


	3. THE TORTURED KNIGHT

_**PART THREE: THE TORTURED KNIGHT**_

Darkness.

"Euphie," he murmured under his breath. "Where are you? Death beckons me, but I can't find you."

Suzaku awoke to the sting of freezing water splashed in his face.

He grunted from the shock, and shivered from the cold. Then he blinked quickly, and looked upon his captors, who were standing before him, or rather it was two more insignificant marauders. The one's that attacked him in his home, he had killed. One man here, was holding a bucket, once filled with water.

He looked around. Blanketing the walls was darkness. Only one light shone above, bathing him in a circle of illumination.

_I remember being shot in the chest with the tranquilizer gun by Hachirou Chika, a golden luger also pointed at me, poised for a kill shot, then falling unconscious when the dart took affect. After that, nothing. I expected never to wake up._

"Good, you're awake. I didn't want you to sleep the entire day away," said a familiar voice.

Suzaku recognized Hachirou Chika's voice, but didn't see him. He was a disembodied voice within the surrounding darkness. He then emerged, and without his leather jacket on. He was almost naked except for a pair of black speedos. Suzaku could see that Hachirou Chika's dragon tattoo did coil around his entire body, like he surmised. It was of admiring artistry.

"You spared me? Why? I thought you wanted revenge for your brother's death?" Suzaku sat in a wooden chair, his arms bound behind him, half naked himself, wearing only his shorts. They had taken his robe.

"Most people would be happy their life was spared, but you sound almost disappointed," said Hachirou.

Suzaku sneered. "Where's Arthur?"

Hachirou stepped closer. "We left him behind. A beloved pet and his master parted. A remarkable cat. When I was dragging you away, he woke up. There was enough tranquilizer in that dart to knock out five cats. He attacked me and scratched me on the arm." He displayed his left forearm. Three deep claw marks scarred it with dried blood.

"Good," Suzaku said with a devious smile. "I hope you get an infection."

Hachirou chuckled. "I should've just killed him. I know his death would have pained you so. I shot him with another dart. You should thank me."

Suzaku curled a lip. "Thank you. But you're still going to pay for hurting him."

"Oh, I think you should be more concerned with yourself at the moment." Hachirou spread his arms out. "Look at me. Do you see my tattoo? I wanted you to see it. My brother was a beautiful artist."

"I agree, he was. And he should have stayed one."

"Daisuke snapped when he saw the injustice Britannia was giving to the Japanese, especially after the massacre at _the Administrative Zone of Japan_. He wanted to join the Black Knights, but I talked him out of it. Instead, he foolishly did what he did, and paid with him life."

"So what do you intend to do?"

One of the two men with Hachirou stepped away and disappeared into the surrounding darkness, then returned, rolling a metal medical tray into the light with a white sheet covering hidden items. The cover was then removed. There was a large bowl of ice cubes and a electro-shock stick.

"What are they for?"

Hachirou smirked, with a chuckle. "For you."

Hachirou gave a slight jerk of his head, a signal of sorts, and one of his men picked up the bowl of ice cubes. He went to Suzaku. The man looked down at Suzaku, as Suzaku looked at him. Then the man pulled open Suzaku's shorts and dumped them in, snapping the elastic band back.

Suzaku hissed from the sudden stinging cold, and flinched as the ice cubes began to numb his nether region. "You sick pervert!"

Hachirou snorted a smirk. "Allow me to explain," as he stepped over to the medical trolley. He picked up the electro-shock stick. "When electricity touches water, it's a shocking experience. You took something very precious away from me, now I will do the same. From this moment on, you will be the last of your lineage. I know you are the only son of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi of Japan. It will be the price you pay for the power you have achieved in betraying your own people, and punishment for the life you stole away, namely my brother."

Hachirou ignited a spark in the electro-shock stick, and a current of dancing electricity surged between the two antenna rods.

Suzaku's eyes opened wide with fear, and he tried to move away, inching the chair back. He knew what Hachirou intended to do. But one of Hachirou's men held the chair stable.

"No, wait! Please don't! It wasn't my fault!"

"As my brother said before he died: _For Japan_. Get ready to feel pain, Suzaku Kururugi."

And Hachirou touched the electro-shock stick to Suzaku's crotch.

Suzaku screamed. It was a horrified, blood-curdling, ear-shattering scream. The ice cubes amplified the electricity, delivering pure agony. And a pain he had never felt before.

Hachirou held the stick there for five seconds, then pulled back. Then continued. And did this continuously for as long as he desired.

Tears rolled down Suzaku's cheeks from the god-awful pain. And he cried out for Hachirou to stop. For the first time since receiving Geass instructions from Lelouch to live at all costs, he felt he truly wanted to die. The pain was so unbearable.

Hachirou tortured him like this for three minutes and then stopped. He placed the electro-shocked back on the medical trolley.

Suzaku whimpered. "You…bastard!" he sobbed out. His entire nether region burned with a never before felt pain. He looked up at Hachirou with bloodshot eyes. "I never signed your brother's death warrant."

Hachirou appeared like he took a mental step back. "What? Who then?"

Suzaku knew if Hachirou knew that information then he would go after Anya Alstreim, the Knight of Six, and he couldn't let that happen. "Go to hell!" he spat out.

"Defiant to the last," Hachirou said, almost amused. "I'd expect nothing less from one of the Emperor's Knights of the Round."

"For someone whose name means 'wisdom' and intellect', you're a very stupid person," said Suzaku, with a hate he had never felt before even towards Zero after he killed Euphie. "Once the rest of the Knights of the Round hear about my death, they'll hunt you down without mercy."

"And when did I ever say I was going to kill you?"

Suzaku's brow folded. "But..."

"Again, you almost sound disappointed. I wonder what happened to make you wish for death? Your father died when you were young, maybe that's it. Or perhaps it's the fact your dear princess, for whom you were knighted to protect, was killed by Zero on national television. That must have scarred your pride."

Despite the pain in his groan, Suzaku frenzied anger. But Hachirou's henchman held him down. "I'm going to kill you, Hachirou Chika!"

"Maybe, but before then, I'm going to hurt you. Just like you did me." Hachirou ignited the electro-shock stick again.

Suzaku prepared for pain. "I swear. I will survive this, and then I'll come after you!"

Hachirou smirked. "You might not want to live after this. Death isn't the only way a person can die."

Hachirou was just about to use the electro-shock stick, when a metallic canister rolled out from the darkness. It hit one wheel of the trolley, and then exploded with a plume of smoke.

It was tear gas.

Suzaku coughed as the smoke filled the area, and his vision became blurred. With squinted eyes, within the smoke, he thought he saw a dark shadowy figure, assaulting Hachirou and his men. He heard grunts, and the sounds of impact, either from punches of kicks.

Eventually all was silent.

The shadowy figure came into view and placed an oxygen breather with a small canister attached to the bottom, to Suzaku's mouth, and he breathed in deep. But he also detected something else within the mixture, the slight hint of a sedative.

He looked at his mysterious rescuer, and his eyes widened with shock, as he saw the mask of Zero. _But how can this be?_ _Lelouch is still subjected to the Emperor's brain-washing, returned to Ashford Academy to live a normal life, without knowledge of his alter ego, or the Black Knights. _

He kept close tabs on his friend. If his memory had been restored, he'd know about it.

"Who...are…you?" he slowly stammered out.

The impostor began to unmask, and he upon the face of Zero dreamily, tears in his eyes. The sedative was beginning to take effect, and the once scourge of Britannia was bathed in an almost angelic hue by the overhead light.

Suzaku cried. Despite his friend's wrongs, he was very glad to see him.

Zero put a hand on Suzaku's shoulder, assuredly. "Everything's all right now, Suzaku. They can't hurt you anymore."

"_Lelouch..._" Suzaku said softly, smiling.

It was then that the sedative took full effect, and he fell into a deep unconsciousness, his head dropping to his chest.

**To be continued...**


	4. THE VENGEFUL KNIGHT

_**PART FOUR: THE VENGEFUL KNIGHT**_

Concurrent periods of relief exchanged with waves of radiating pain met Suzaku when he awoke three days after his ordeal.

He found himself in a medical bed, in a hospital, with an IV tube feeding a vein in his left arm, and a catheter inserted into his penis, for when he needed to go to the bathroom. Unconscious for three days, he must have needed to urinate; it went into a plastic bag attached to the side of the bed. It felt uncomfortable, and only contributed to his discomfort.

Zero had saved him, or he thought so. But he knew for a fact that Lelouch was at Ashford Academy, recently returned brainwashed with Geass, and under the supervision of his appointed guardian, who was also acting as his brother, replacing Nunnally. He had asked for confirmation on this as soon he had awakened, calling dispatch at HQ. _Then who saved me? Who was it behind that mask? I could have sworn it was Lelouch. Or did I want it to be?_

On a table stand next to bed were get well soon cards from his fellow comrades and other people, and a large stuffed cat toy with the appearance of Arthur from Gino.

His card said,

"_I'm taking care of Arthur for you until you're better. He's well, and waiting for you. Oh, and I ordered a high tech security system for your house, my gift. I'm an Aristocrat, money grows on trees for me. I'll be installed before you get back. Get well, buddy!_"

Gino.

But out of all the cards, Suzaku was saddened that there was nothing from Lelouch. He had probably never been told of the happenstance. Despite his mind erasure, Lelouch still remembered him. And if indeed it was Zero who rescued him, most assuredly, there would have been something from him, in code, that only the both of them would be privy. However, that would mean his memory had returned somehow, and it would've expose him. He would've had to be captured and brainwashed again. So, in retrospect, Lelouch was smart not to send anything.

A doctor entered Suzaku's private room carrying a computer pad. He was an older gentleman with glasses and white hair, wearing lab coat.

"Good morning, Sir Kururugi. I'm Dr. Reinhart," he said.

"Morning doctor," Suzaku replied.

"How are feeling?"

"As good as one can be in my situation."

"You went through a horrific ordeal, but I hear they caught the culprits. I hear they were Japanese."

Suzaku didn't reply. A few seconds went by, then he said, "That's privileged information."

"Really? Everyone's talking about it. There was even a press release." The doctor's eyebrows arched. "You mean you hadn't heard?"

Suzaku shook his head. "Despite what I see here, the cards and other items, I've had no visitors or dispatches informing me of such."

"Well, I'll let you handle that," the doctor said. "I'm here on another matter. And it's a serious issue."

"How much damage was done?" Suzaku said, as if expecting the worse.

The doctor looked uneasy for a moment, as if about to dispense bad news. He took a deep breath. And then affirmed Suzaku's worst fear. He explained the hospital's findings when Suzaku was first brought in and examined.

Suzaku swallowed hard, and felt like crying. But he stayed strong. "Thank you doctor for being honest with me."

"This person really tried to hurt you, and it appears he succeeded. We don't know yet if it's irreversible, only time will tell. However, we can try therapy. In situations like this, a good psychotherapist is also recommended."

At that moment, Gino walked into the room. In his arms was Arthur. Gino smiled, as Arthur leapt free and onto the bed. The cat meowed a happy hello, and Suzaku pet the feline on the head, faking a smile.

"Hi Suzaku, how are you doing?" asked Gino.

There was an eerie silence, then the doctor said, "I'll come back later."

Gino watched the doctor leave, then turned back to Suzaku. "Did I say something wrong?"

Suzaku sighed deeply. "Sit down, Gino, I have some bad news." Gino did, pulling over a near by chair.

And he told Gino what the doctor had explained to him.

Gino was outraged, and he stood up with clenched fists. Suzaku had never seen him so angry. "If you won't sign that bastard's death warrant, then I will!"

"Hachirou Chika said he wanted to hurt me, that I be the last of my lineage. I do have a cousin, but she and I haven't spoken in years." Arthur appeared to look at him sadly, and meowed in a similar fashion, as if sensing his master's despair. "And yet, why do I feel like I deserve this."

"No one deserves what this sicko did to you. He took away your ability to have children. For a man not being able to sire a son is..."

"Settle down, Gino. The doctor says it might be reversible," Suzaku said calmly.

"Get real, Suzaku. This stuff never is. He's made you impendent. You should be mad as hell. Remember what I told you about bottling your feelings. Get angry!"

"Hachirou Chika said it was the price I'd pay for my actions against my own people and for the murder of his brother."

Gino shook his head. "You're wrong, Suzaku. You haven't done anything wrong. Daisuke Chika tried to kill you and he was punished. Remember, no one should be punished for their achievements, especially you. You're a hero, Hachirou Chika is the villain. At present he's in the maximum detection centre at HQ. I'll have his death warrant sent over so you can sign it."

"I won't condemn one of my own people to death, no matter their crime."

"He's Japanese, so what! He tried to kill you!"

"No, he said he wasn't going to. He only wanted to hurt me, so I would share in his loss. But I lost Euphie, so I know how he feels. He seemed taken back when I told him I never sighed his brother's death warrant. He asked who. I never told him."

"Anya signed it, and you did the right thing not telling Hachirou, or he would've gone after her."

"I know," said Suzaku. "I'm conflicted, Gino. Hachirou Chika needs to pay for what he's done, but..."

"Stop being so soft! You wager too much on your emotions. Sometimes they can be your worse enemy."

"And sometimes they can be your best asset."

Gino sighed frustrated, sitting back down. Suzaku frowned, and then started to cry. "It hurts, Gino. You have no idea how much it hurts."

"I get the idea you're not just talking about what Hachirou Chika did to you," said Gino. "I know you miss, Princess Euphemia. We all do. Why don't you try to get some sleep. I'll order some warm milk."

Suzaku wiped tears from his eyes with his hospital gown sleeve. "Thanks. But there's still one mystery I need solved before I can rest easy."

"And what's that?" asked Gino.

"How did you find me?"

"That's a puzzling question. And I was hoping you could tell me."

Suzaku shook his head. "Zero," was all he said.

"Impossible. Lelouch's no longer a threat. And his costume was burned."

Suzaku explained what he had seen during the last couple of moments before he fell unconscious to Gino.

Gino was flabbergasted. "You were in pain, and the smoke, in combination with the sedative, you must have imagined it. A nurse attendant found you on the front steps of the hospital, no one knows how you got there."

"Then who rescued me? And how did this person know where I was? And why would they dress up as Zero?"

"A mystery that deserves to be solved, but may never will," remarked Gino. "Oh, by the way, when you were unconscious, I read some of your cards. Looks like you have a secret admirer. Tell me, who's Cee Cee?"

Suzaku had read the card, but he didn't have a clue.

( * * * )

One week later, he was released from hospital. And he paid a visit to HQ's detention centre, where Hachirou Chika was being held, awaiting his fate. He learned the guard that Gino had appointed had been stuffed into an old well on the property with his throat slashed. That's how Hachirou and his men were able to sneak into the house. If it wasn't for Arthur, Hachirou may have killed him in his sleep.

There was a public outcry from Eleven's for Hachirou's release. And protests happened throughout parts of the Eleven ghettos. It was decided a public execution was not prudent, especially after the public learned of Hachirou's relation to Daisuke Chika.

Suzaku stood in full Knights of the Round uniform looking through the bars of Hachirou Chika's cell. What Hachirou had done to him did indeed cause irrevocable damage. At first, he was in denial. But now, he accepted it.

Any hope of having children had been stolen away from him.

"Come to gloat, Kururugi?" Hachirou said, sitting on a cot. He smiled, almost amused. "My people are calling me a hero. Now you can't sire any traitorous sons or daughters like you."

Suzaku merely stared at him, keeping a relatively plain face. But he was angry. Gino said it was unhealthy to bottle up his emotions, but he didn't want to give Hachirou Chika the satisfaction of seeing him such.

"What, nothing to say?" Hachirou Chika tauted him, laughing. "I'll die a martyr. And Eleven's will hate you even more."

A man in a white lab coat joined Suzaku. Then two guards entered the cell, grabbed Hachirou, and forcefully stripped him down to his underwear, ripping the prison garb.

They held him in place, like some sort of exhibition piece, his dragon tattoo displayed for them to see.

"What do you think, doctor?" Suzaku finally said.

The doctor entered the cell, surveyed Hachirou, walking around him, looking at his body. He rubbed his chin, musing, nodding. "A very nice piece of artistry. Admittedly, Daisuke Chika could have been a recognized artist, if he wasn't foolish."

Hachirou folded his eyebrows. "What's going on? What are you doing?" his voice demanding.

The doctor stepped back and pulled out a small portable camera, taking pictures of the tattoo, front and back, then left the cell. "For propriety," he said.

Suzaku never entered, watching from the outside. "Can it be done, doctor?" he asked.

The doctor nodded. "It's a relatively simple procedure these days, like replacing cartilage or repairing lost bone, and there won't be any scarring. In fact, I can guarantee no trace will be left."

"What's he talking about?" said Hachirou Chika.

Suzaku looked at him with the hint of a sinister smile. "This is Dr. Eckhart," he explained. "He's a plastic surgeon."

"And why do I need a plastic surgeon?" It was then Hachirou's eyes widened with utter fear, and then started to struggle against the two guards, but to no avail. He was then dragged out of the cell. "No! You can't! It's all I have left of him!"

"You have your memories, that should be enough," Suzaku said coldly, facing him. "You should thank me, I've abstained your execution due to public sympathy. But you will pay for what you've done."

Hachirou Chika spat in Suzaku's face. Suzaku recoiled and wiped it off with a hand.

"I know how you feel about your brother. I feel the same way about someone I cared very deeply for who was also killed." He looked at Hachirou Chika with serious eyes. "What you did to me is irreversible. And now, I will return the favor."

"No! Please don't!" Hachirou cried as he was hauled away, struggling all the way. "Take anything else, take my life instead! I thought was so to be executed?"

"And whoever said you were going to die?" Suzaku said back.

Hachirou Chika's cries fell on deaf ears as he pleaded with Suzaku. Removing the last remnants of his brother was crueler than any death. In fact, it was a form of death. _"Death isn't the only way a person can die,"_ Hachirou had said. It was a prophetic statement, Suzaku thought. He then realized what he was doing was exactly like what the Emperor had done to Lelouch, erasing all memory of Nunnally. But he would not recant his decision.

Hachirou Chika was taken from the detection center.

Alone, tears began to form in Suzaku's eyes when he finally realized an absolute fact.

_I've become the very thing I despise the most. Just like the Emperor, the man who invaded Japan and butchered hundreds of thousands of innocent people for his own means. I killed my father, betrayed my best friend, both for my own ambition. And now this. Gino's wrong, I am a villain._

**To be continued...**


	5. THE DEMANDING KNIGHT

_**PART FIVE: THE DEMANDING KNIGHT**_

A cool breeze whisked Suzaku's brown, mop top hair, as he stood in the front courtyard of the Ashford Mansion late at night. The mansion was adjacent to the academy.

This is where Lelouch lived. A favor from the Ashford family - a wealthy and powerful Aristocratic family - who at one point knew of Lelouch's lineage as a prince of Britannia, but now had forgotten and something else was inserted in its place, brainwashed with Geass. But whatever the Emperor implanted in the Ashford family with Geass, it still prompted Lelouch to remain at the residence, along with his appointed guardian from the Special Intelligence Service Branch.

The appointed guardian was assigned to be Lelouch's brother, replacing Lelouch's sister Nunnally, for whom the Emperor stole from Lelouch's memory. It was but one punishment for his rebellious and insidious insurrection against Britannia in being the terrorist leader Zero.

The dossier Suzaku read on the appointed guardian had his name as Rolo Lamperouge, but his last name was just a subterfuge for his cover. His real name was unknown. In fact, Rolo was probably just a codename itself. He was an operative of the Britannian Secret Intelligence Service, and a trained killer, skilled in a variety of weaponry, explosives, poisons and other deadly devices. He was also bred with the power of an unusual form of Geass from age six: the ability to freeze time - but for an insurmountable length of time. It's one weakness was it also stopped his heart. It was potentially a fatal flaw, that could contribute to an abnormal heart rhythm and ultimately lead to his death.

And Rolo wasn't the only one with unusual Geass powers. There was a colony of children stationed in a top secret location, from which Rolo originated from, each with a unique form of Geass now being trained to utilize their powers for future use. It was but one of many of the Emperor's pet projects. And Suzaku wagered once Rolo out lived his usefulness, he'd be disposed of.

But Rolo was an elite soldier. He was young, but his expertise were diversified, especially when it came to cloak and dagger missions. And after countless assignments and all of them successful, he held special merit as one of the Emperor's favorites, therefore he was kept alive.

This mission was his most important one to date. _Watch Lelouch, pretend to be his younger brother, but if he gets his memory back - kill him. _These were Rolo's prime orders, Suzaku recalled. And it came directly from the Emperor.

Suzaku didn't agree with the Emperor on some things, especially when it came to killing his own son for subversion.

He obeyed His Highness nonetheless and kept his opinions to himself. But he found himself disgusted by Britannian politics more each day.

As a Knight of the Round, the Emperor's elitist guard, he was compiled to obey the Emperor's orders. If he wanted to continue to stay as one, he would have to carry out anything the Emperor wanted. And if that meant one day killing his best friend Lelouch, someone he had known longer than anyone he was presently acquainted with, then he would have to, to keep the peace Britannia now shared despite under a iron fist of Britannian rule.

_I am a villain, after all._ _No, that's the mindset of a sociopath. I'm not that far gone, I think._

The lights were out in the mansion. He had informed Rolo that he would making a special trip this night to check up on Lelouch, especially after the incident with Hachikou Chika.

Rolo had assured him that Lelouch had never been out of his sight during the incident in question. However, Lelouch was very resourceful. _If he did regain his memory, Rolo wouldn't be privy to his tricks. I know Lelouch better than anyone, _Susaku thought._ And once I look into Lelouch's eyes, I'll be able to tell if he's lying. The eyes are the window to the soul, after all._

The front door opened, and out stepped a small kid about fifteen. He had brown hair and was thin even for his age. He looked like any other innocent, shy teenager in school.

Suzaku disliked him. It wasn't a personal hate, more disdain for what Rolo represented. A lie. Nunnally was Lelouch's sister. Rolo was an impostor. He was replacing a sweet, innocent girl, in his best friend's heart. Lelouch loved Nunnally more than life itself.

_I also love Nunnally. She's one of my best friends. Damn the Emperor!_

Rolo shut the door quietly behind him and walked out to the courtyard. It was dark, save for a dim bathing of moonlight through a whisper of cloud cover.

Rolo gave a slight bow when he reached Suzaku. "Greetings, my lord. As I said to you in conference, Lelouch is not Zero, not any longer. I've watched him very closely."

"Where is he now?" asked Suzaku.

"Sleeping. He had an exhausting day."

Rolo went through Lelouch's itinerary, reading it off his computerized daily planner than he borrowed. But he didn't get far.

Suzaku snatched it from him, scrolling through it. What he wanted was a week ago today, when Zero rescued him. He read through the entire day. Lelouch was meticulous in his daily activities, but he noticed a slight discrepancy between 11am and Noon. Each completed activity had a green check mark next to it except for PE. "What happened here?" he asked, showing Rolo. "You never told me about this hour."

"Oh, that was when Lelouch got injured and hurt his knee and had to visit the nurse. He missed PE that day, but he's okay now."

Suzaku scowled. "That was important. It was approximately the same day I was..." He stopped. He didn't know if Rolo had been told about Hachikou Chika. It was when Zero had rescued him, during that precise hour. _Lelouch could have easily used Geass on the nurse and made her lie that he was obtaining medical attention for a fake injury. The fact of the matter is, if Lelouch did regain his memory, how did he know where to find me? And then, how did he know that I had been kidnapped? There's a mystery here I can fathom. _"And I see before then, he's missed other PE classes. Why?"

Rolo appeared to swallow nervously. "He doesn't like PE. But I can vouch for his whereabouts each time. He was gambling, except for last Friday."

"Lelouch likes to gamble?"

"He says it offsets boredom. He has a very analytical mind. It's common with people with his personality traits. He likes to challenge strong opponents. And he never loses. He's an excellent chess player."

Suzaku shoved the daily planner back to Rolo. _I didn't know this about Lelouch. I must include this information in the database at HQ when I return._

Rolo took a step back from the impact. He looked taken back by Suzaku's abruptness. "My lord, have I done something to offend you?" he asked, slightly skittish at the moment.

Suzaku eyed him harshly. He could see agitation in the kid's eyes. The Knight of the Round were second only to the Emperor and they were psychologically feared. _Despite Rolo possessing Geass, he wouldn't dare use it on me. But of course, with his strange Geass, I wouldn't know it if he did. _

"Just take me to Lelouch," he demanded. "I want to see him."

"Of course," said Rolo.

He followed Rolo to Lelouch's bedroom, opening the door slowly.

Putting an arm out, he halted Rolo from entering. "I'll go in by myself," he said quietly. Rolo nodded and stood back.

Suzaku walked quietly to Lelouch's bed. It was dark, but his eyes soon became accustomed to it. He looked down, something didn't look right. The sheets were flat. He yanked them back, throwing them to the floor.

Gritting his teeth with anger, he looked back at Rolo. "He's not here, find him! Now!" he ordered.

**To be continued...**


	6. THE REGRETFUL KNIGHT

_**PART SIX: THE REGRETFUL KNIGHT**_

"You won't find him," said a familiar voice. Suzaku turned his attention to a darkened portion of the room. "He's not here; he went gambling."

C2 stepped out into the open, her long green hair almost angelic in nature when cast with moonlight from the window.

Suzaku went for his gun. Rolo stopped him. "Let's hear what she has to say, my lord. He went gambling, you say?" Rolo directed the question to her. "And without me? He always brings me along. I bet I was smothering him."

"You're wise for your age, Rolo," she said. "Yes, you were smothering him. However, he still loves you. But you are not his family. Nunnally is his sister. But those memories implanted in his mind will forever be apart of him, if and when his memory is restored." She then looked at Suzaku. "And you, Suzaku, have grown very angry lately. You're no longer the innocent, caring person I've come to observe. Perhaps another boxing match with your friend Gino is in order."**

Suzaku gasped. "How the hell do you know about that?"

"I can travel between this world and C's World, and can manifest myself in other forms. There's much to know about Geass that mere genetic engineering can't teach you." She gave a brief glance to Rolo. "I'm sure your superior's have mentioned me to you. I figure this because you didn't look surprised when you saw me."

"Yes, they did. I'd like to know this information you speak of about Geass," Rolo said. "Are you saying it has unlimited potential? Who can use it?"

"Shut up," Suzaku ordered, shoving Rolo aside. He unholstered his gun and pointed it at C2. "Tell me where Lelouch is, right now!"

"You can't kill her, my lord," Rolo said.

"Why do you refer to him in such an patrician manner?" C2 said to Rolo. "He's inferior to you. You can kill him in an instant with your Geass."

"I chose not to kill unless absolutely necessary, or unless ordered to," replied Rolo. "And regardless of his insipid attitude towards me, I consider him an invaluable ally."

"Ally?" said Suzaku, lowering his gun.

Rolo nodded. "To find the truth about Geass and all its incumbent facets. And with C2's admission a moment ago, my theories on Geass existing with unlimited potential are now true. There has to be more out there than being someone else's pawn and a contract killer."

"Like I said, Rolo, you're very wise," said C2. "Perhaps someday I'll show you these wonders of Geass you seek."

"Forget about any theories you have," Suzaku said firmly. "Just do your job. We must find Lelouch!"

"You don't hear very well, do you," C2 said to Suzaku. "Lelouch is gambling somewhere across town. Even I don't know precisely where. But I did overhear him speaking with a friend from school about it today. I disguised myself as a typical student. He snuck away when Rolo left to meet you. He left via the back way. I haven't given him back his memories. He's still brainwashed, but one day I'll want him back. Lelouch and I have a contract, and I will see it to the end."

"What's this contract?" asked Rolo.

"Be quiet!" Suzaku snapped an order. "Lelouch wants nothing but violence and chaos. I can't allow that to happen again."

"You're a fool, Suzaku," said C2. "All Lelouch wants is a world where his sister can live peacefully without the constant threat of violence lurking overhead. It's Britannia who is the aggressor. The Japanese want peace, and that's what Lelouch was trying to deliver. Yet you choose to serve, unfavorably, I might add, an Emperor who cares nothing for the petty plights of his subjects, imprisoning them within a cage of fear, using the Knights of the Round to enforce tyrannical law to fight perpetual wars against anyone who defies his will. The consensus in the Eleven Ghettos is you're a traitor, Suzaku. Most want you dead."

Suzaku swallowed. "I can't regret my past now. I'll change Britannia from the inside. I'll show them to respect all life, not just their own."

"You're still as naïve as ever. No matter what people say, one person can't make a difference."

"I don't believe that."

"Then I'll say it again. You're naïve."

"I ask you again. Do you know where Lelouch is?" said Suzaku.

"I told you I don't know," replied C2.

"Then I'll play on the assumption his memory is restored and I'll call out our forces to hunt him down. The Emperor can easily erase his memory again, or kill him."

"You're making a mistake," C2 said irate. "Nothing has been done to foil your precious Emperor's plans of absolute rule, but if do this, then you'll be at fault. He'll blame you."

"Then I'll gladly take the blame if it means the prevention of another insurrection."

C2 stepped forward and slapped Suzaku across the face. Suzaku's mouth went agape in shock, feeling the sting on his left cheek.

"Lelouch gave you a gift, the gift of life," she said, stepping back. "And you're squandering it on pettiness and ego, self-absorbed ambition. He's your friend!"

"He killed Euphie. I'll never forgive him for that. I loved her."

"And so did Lelouch, more than you'll ever know."

"So then why did he kill her?"

"You'll have to ask him."

"I will. Now, I ask you a final time." Whether he could kill her or not, he aimed the gun at her head. "Where is Lelouch?"

But C2 stood firm. "You know what, Suzaku, you've turned into a nasty villain."

Suzaku gasped. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Your new status in life has changed you. Lelouch is better off not knowing who you've become. He still knows you, but the old you. Not the bastard you are now."

Suzaku lowered the gun. "I am not evil, and I'm not a villain!" he said defensively.

"Just look in a mirror and say that. Better people than you have turned. Britannia has corrupted you."

"No! When Lelouch used Geass on me, he corrupted me! Twisting my convictions!"

"If you want to die, then just shoot yourself and get it over with!" shouted C2. "You killed your father. You put yourself in harms way, taking countless risks when you were in the Britannian infantry, hoping you'd be killed to atone for that murder. Unfortunately for you, you survived. Seven years later, you've risen the ranks, betrayed your best friend to the Emperor, and now attributed to stealing the most precious thing away from him, his sister. If that doesn't make you a villain, then I don't know what does!"

"You're right." He tossed the gun to C2, then lowered his head in shame. Tears formed in his eyes. "You know I can't kill myself. You do it."

Rolo immediately stepped in between them spreading his arms out to barricade Suzaku, even before C2 could rise the gun. Which she didn't. "Stop it. Whatever your inner demons, Suzaku Kururugi, you deal with them. As for you, C2, leave us. We'll deal with Lelouch by ourselves. I believe you when you say his memory isn't restored."

"You called me by my name?" Suzaku said to Rolo, looking up.

"At this point, I'll have to start calling you by your name anyway to avoid suspicion at school. So I better start now. I'm suppose to know you, and have for seven years. It's only correct I start now."

Suzaku nodded.

Rolo extended a hand to C2. "Please give me the gun. You have no use for it. Perhaps, we'll met some other time, like when you come for Lelouch to restore you contract, but for the time being, stay out of sight, and trouble. When you come for Lelouch, we'll be ready. But I have my orders. If Lelouch gets his memories back, I'm going to kill him."

C2 seemed to smile. She tossed the gun back.

Suzaku saw C2's face, looked into her eyes. He said, "Why are you smiling?"

"You can learn a lot from this one," she said. "He has strong convictions. Although, one day, they'll be challenged. Let's just see if they stand up to the test."

C2 made her way to the window, opening the panes. A cool brisk wind blew the curtains haphazardly. "I hope you enjoyed my card, Suzaku; it came from the heart," she said. "Remember, always keep hope alive. Without it, life isn't worth living." Then she leapt out.

Suzaku went to the window and watched C2 land safely, then she ran across the courtyard into the darkness. It quickly dawned on him - the card at the hospital signed by a mysterious person calling themselves Cee Cee. He had wondered who this person was. Now the mystery was solved.

_Cee Cee - C2._

He smiled.

_She was my mysterious savior. By her own admission, C2 was watching over me. Maybe it was a last minute instruction from Lelouch for whatever reason. Dressed as Zero, she must've attacked Hachirou Chika and his men and then taken me to the hospital._

Suzaku suddenly heard a click, like a trigger pulled from a gun. He turned around and saw Rolo pointing his own gun at him.

Rolo smiled. "There's something to be said about a person who carries an unloaded gun around. If the chamber was full, you'd be dead. And your death would've been attributed to the rebels." He lowered it. "You're not a villain, Suzaku. Far from it, in fact." He tossed the gun back, and Suzaku caught it. "Do you still want to see Lelouch?"

Suzaku holstered his gun, then shook his head. "I'll see him at school tomorrow. I can honestly say campus life is much more simpler than my present status. I believe C2. I looked into her eyes. It was like looking into Lelouch's. You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes."

Rolo smiled. "And your eyes are good, Suzaku. You've just frustrated, and I can understand that with all you've been through."

"You're an all right guy, Rolo."

"Some day, both of will learn everything our hearts seek. But right now, we have our orders."

Suzaku nodded.

He then left the mansion.

( * * * )

When Suzaku returned home, Arthur greeted him at the front door with a happy meow. He picked up the feline and cradled the cat in his arms, petting him. "I'm glad you're okay, Arthur. I assure you, nothing like what happened with Hachirou Chika will ever happen again. Gino's security system is now fully activated. I'll make sure to arm it every night, even if I have to work late, so at least you're safe."

Arthur purred contently.

After spending some time with Arthur, he got something eat. Then he armed the security system and retired to his bedroom. He was eager to continue the book Gino loaned him. He had fallen asleep half way through the first page and had not gotten back to it.

He had brought his cell phone. He wanted to check his voicemail before turning in. He had turned his phone off while at the mansion, so no unexpected calls would disturb the household. Nothing worse than having a cell phone ring when trying to apprehend a criminal. He had forgotten to turn it on until now.

There was a message from Gino. His voice sounded somber.

"_Hey Suzaku. Listen. About Hachirou Chika. I have some bad news. The guy didn't make it through surgery. I suppose his mind couldn't take the strain of having his brother's tattoo's removed, or something like that. The doctor said he just died. They tried to save him. Sorry buddy. Talk to you later."_

Suzaku sat down on his bed in shock, lowering his arm to his side, his cell phone dropping to the floor. He looked at Arthur staring back at him next to it.

"I cost someone their life for something petty as revenge. Hachirou Chika was Japanese, one of my own people…"

He turned and looked at the book Gino lent him sitting half way off the night stand. And it wished the book was a technical manual instead of a fictional story. It was H.G. Well's _The Time Machine._

He cupped his face into his hands, and started to cry.

**END**


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